lake improvements (what will the next project be?)

[boggen]

trying to figure out what next side project might be for the lake. something simple and under a couple hundred bucks.

lake is approx 1.75 acres if memory serves.
1 row boat / fishing boat
1 paddle boat,
1 14'x8' raft with 55 gallon drums floating it. and a ladder to get in and out.
2 inflatable party barge 12' diameter that seats 8 people.
1 live well / basket 4' long 2' wide 2' deep. to hold fish for a few hours before getting clean, vs trying to mess with little fish baskets.
1 old bridge, that goes over the shallow end of lake. not really useable. when lake is a couple feet low. which is about 1/2 the year on average. and trying to swim to bridge and get up by ladder normally results getting muddy.
1 3000w generator. that is about 80 feet (walking distance) from edge of lake.

parking area / camping area / small cabin, on top of hill. and then a 45 degree slope, with approx 50 feet walking down to edge of lake when it is full. hill side is normally covered with acorns. that make it dangerous to walk down.

only water that keeps lake full of water is run off water from surrounding fields.

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i do not have the cash, to buy lumber for stairs. to make it easier to walk down to lake.

inflating and deflating the party barges. is a chore in itself. and they are rather tricky trying to get back on them.

the raft is getting used like a dock. to make it easier to get in and out of the water for swimming and to tie the row boat and paddle boat up to. and hang live baskets or the fish live well/cage from. but dock just does not stick out far enough to dive from.

other issue. is having to walk through mud half the time. or take a 2 to 3 feet leep between edge of bank. to get onto raft. without getting wet or into mud.

i have a trolling motor, but lugging a 12v battery up and down the hill. i just cringe at. due to slipping and taking a spill down. been way to many close calls.

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i do not have the cash, to buy lumber to put in stairs. on hill side. but i do have some 1" to 1/2" pipe i might be able to make a "hand rail" out of. and use some muffler clamps and some tees to hold everything together.

lake is down 5 to 6 feet first time in years due to drought we have this year. and i have some 2" metal pipes. i might be able to use as posts for a dock. just not sure what type of dock to put in. i am thinking about hinged dock. were it seats up on the bank of the lake. on some posts. and then other part out in the water put on some 55 gallon drums. to let the one end float up and down as water level flucuates. and drive a couple more posts were 55 gallon drums would be. to help keep dock form flipping over. i am guessing 15 to 20 feet long by 4 to 6 feet wide. thought about making it a T shape shape. were the upper side of a T is out in the water. to make things more stable so a ladder could be placed on the end / side of it. what ever i do make, has to withstand lake freezing over and ice getting any were from 2" to 12" thick.

i been thinking of putting in some sort of crane kinda like a crane that fits in back of truck bed, that rotates 360, with a hand crank winch. to help pull boats out in winter. or to lift up the live cage basket.

i also been thinking of using a little garden hand cart (4 wheels) and placing it on a 12v winch. and run winch off of the generator 12v plug. to help move coolers, up and down the hill. perhaps tieing the 12v winch into crane?!?! with a couple pulleys and quick attach ends for a cable?!?!

i am not to keen on trolling motor and 12v battery, and thought about converting the trolling motor, over to a 2 stroke weed whacker engine. so just a little bit of gas could be used. vs having to deal with hauling battery all over the place. or perhaps finding a cheap small outboard motor. mainly wanting a out board or trolling motor for the 14' x 8' raft. and perhaps the row boat. something light to make it easy to pull off and store and easy to start.

other thought, is getting the small trencher out. and putting in 3 pipes, 1 for electric, 1 for lake water being pumped up to parking / camp area. and other to send waste water that gets pumped up to some place. and then setting something up, that i could easily install a pump near bank of lake. and only need to open a lid to access pump and perhaps vent and flip a switch, (assuming generator is on) to start pumping water.

one more to the list. making a floating basket. to set coolers, or food or drinks into. so it frees up the party barges.

redo, a few years from now retaining wall. for were the camping area / chairs / tables are. that sets high on top of the hill and looks over the lake.

the small cabin has its own "projects" that need to be done for it. will become more like a 5th wheel / RV when all said and done.

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choices choices choices.... what would make the lake/water more joyfull / relaxing / fun and usable? hhmmsss.

 

[gotrocks]

"only water that keeps lake full of water is run off water from surrounding fields."

I was told 10 A runoff needed per 1 A of pond.
That is what my has just barely, and it does not stay full.
More details below.

If you are asking what will the next project be?
This describes what my next project would be.
Here's my similar experience. My pond would go down every year when summer dry season arrived.

Same as you describe... muddy edge .. several feet when water level drops one foot.

I had well drilled, installed 1 1/4 pvc pipe to pond. Now when level gets down turn on the water and pond level rises approx. 1 inch per day.

Well/pump delivers approx 30 gal/minute. My pond approx .75 A.

 

[boggen]

good thought about a well for lake. but only source of power is the generator. and not to keen on setting up a windmill powered well.

a well for actual drinking water will be put in eventually for the cabin / camping area.

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got go ahead to set posts for a dock. requirement the end or portion out in middle of lake needs to float up and down according to water level.

another requirement a ladder. most likely 2x4's doubled up and "hinged" right at or near water line. so ladder can be pulled up with a rope so wood does not rot, when not in use. most likely painted with some blasting sand mixed into paint. to give kinda of a no-skid / no-slip surface.

the current 14x8 raft, oar boat, paddle boat, fish live well / live cage needs to tied up to dock. all at one time, and access to ladder.

besides weight of structure (lumber, screws, etc...) needs to handle approx 600 to 800 lbs. (weight of people on dock at one time)

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not sure what shape to go with. and if i go with 2 docks that hinge how would i hinge them? or would i let the (orange) deck, just set on top of the (purple) floating deck? and ropes that went around metal posts had extra slack in them. to allow for difference in water level and hinged docks. or do i let the (orange) dock just slide across something on the (purple) floating dock?

if i go with a shape, that is just an angled dock (orange). the one end furthest from lake edge would most likely dip down into the water. this could be wanted. when folks begin getting on the deck. to just dangle there legs into the water.



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the ladder is a big one, i thought about permanently fixing ladder to the dock. vs carrying the ladder back and forth for storage.

but also thought about driving 2 metal posts side by side. and using a couple metal pipes for bracing. and use the 2 metal posts. as bracing for a 2x4 ladder. or perhaps rope ladder.... na rope lader is dangerous and hard enough to get up as is.

i want a ladder that is easy to lift up and out of water, and tie up right there on the dock. to much algae and mud collects on ladder if left down in water, and makes for slipper than snot in attempts to use ladder....

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floatation or bouncy or ??? what ever it is called. going to need to look up "displacement" and amount of weight.... errrr X amount of displacement can handle Y amount of weight calculations.

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have good idea of were dock will be going. but will need to get some measurements out. for distance from good solid ground on bank, to water level when it is 5 feet low (drought years), then figure out what it would take to keep end of dock in at least 1 feet of water. so flotation works and does not get banged / crunched up. from setting on uneven dirt.

 

[boggen]

before i forget about it. perhaps instead of making one very long dock that sticks out. perhaps doing a few 4 feet wide by 8 feet long docks. each section gets 4 posts (one near each corner) then putting a H like bracing below each section. and as water lowers, each section would end up being supported by the posts H bracing rather than seating on un even ground and sinking into the mud. when water level is low. perhaps drill some holes through end of each dock. and run a heavy duty rope with some slack through ends. so when lake is full. if you step down on edge of one section it does not completely sink into the water with you along with it...

hhhmmsss...

been years since i been at a boat dock for loading / unloading boats along with parking spaces for boats while there in the water.